1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer host machine for displaying a print preview screen, a print command generation device for preparing an image to be displayed on the print preview screen, and a storage medium having stored therein an operation program for the printer host machine.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-237639, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A user usually calls up a so-called print preview screen in order to ascertain the form in which prepared print data are to be actually printed.
In order to enable indication of appearance of a page which is to be produced from print data, a print preview screen is indicated while being scaled down so as to become smaller than an image to be actually printed on paper. The user can ascertain the sizes of margins on the paper while viewing the print preview screen. In a case where the user desires to ascertain a detailed image of a portion within the print preview screen, the image can be scaled up to a maximum of 200% the original image within the print preview screen.
However, the background technique is incapable of enabling the user to view an image whose resolution is identical with that of printed matter. Accordingly, the user cannot accurately grasp a detailed image which is to be achieved through printing.
Attention is directed toward such a drawback of the background art, and the present invention is aimed at providing a printer host machine capable of accurately indicating, on a print preview screen, a detailed appearance which a page is to have when printed, a print command generation device for preparing an image to be displayed on the print preview screen, and a storage medium having stored therein an operating program for the printer host machine.
To this end, there is provided a printer host machine including a display indication section, rendering instruction input means for entering a rendering instruction, print condition setting means for receiving settings pertaining to a print condition, first rendering means for expanding the rendering instruction into a first color space image which can be printed by a printer, and print command output means which converts the first color space image into a print command and outputs the command to the printer, the machine comprising:
second rendering means for expanding the rendering instruction into a second color space image which can be displayed by the display indication section;
display means for outputting the second color space image to the display indication section;
preview display designation means for receiving an instruction for displaying a preview;
real display instruction means which receives an instruction for displaying a preview at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation and which is set by the print condition setting means; and
print preview display control means which, in a case where the preview display designation means designates display of a preview, causes the second rendering means to expand the rendering instruction into an image and to output the image to the display means, or which, in a case where the real display instruction means receives an instruction, causes the second rendering means to expand the rendering instruction to a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation and to output the image to the display means.
In order to accomplish the foregoing object, the present invention provides a printer command generation device including rendering instruction input means for entering a rendering instruction, print condition setting means for receiving settings pertaining to a print condition, first rendering means for expanding the rendering instruction into a first color space image which can be printed by a printer, and print command output means which converts the first color space image into a print command and outputs the command to the printer, the machine comprising:
second rendering means for expanding the rendering instruction into a second color space image which can be displayed in a display indication section, the display indication section serving as an external device;
display means for outputting the second color space image to the display indication section;
preview display designation means for receiving an instruction for displaying a preview;
real display instruction means which receives an instruction for displaying a preview at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation and which is set by the print condition setting means; and
print preview display control means which, in a case where the preview display designation means designates display of a preview, causes the second rendering means to expand the rendering instruction into an image and output to the image to the display means, or which, in a case where the real display instruction means receives an instruction, causes the second rendering means to expand the rendering instruction at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation and to output the image to the display means.
Preferably, the print command generation device comprises real display area designation means by way of which a portion of the image output from the display means is designated. In a case where the real display area designation means designates an area and when the real display instruction means receives an instruction, the print preview display means causes the second rendering means to expand a portion of the rendering instruction corresponding to the designated area into an image at a resolution at which the image is to be printed by the printer and to output the expanded image to the display means.
Preferably, in a case where the real display area designation means designates an area and when the real display instruction means receives an instruction, the print preview display means causes the second rendering means to expand a portion of the rendering instruction corresponding to the designated area into an image at a resolution lower than that at which the image is to be printed by the printer and to output the expanded image to the display means, and subsequently causes the second rendering means to expand the portion of the rendering instruction into an image at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation.
Further, the present invention provides a storage medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer having a display connection section and a printer connection section to execute
a rendering instruction input step for entering a rendering instruction;
a print condition setting step for receiving settings pertaining to a print condition;
a first rendering step for expanding the rendering instruction into a first color space image which can be printed by a printer;
a print command output step for converting the first color space image into a print command and outputting the command to the printer;
a second rendering step for expanding the rendering instruction into a second color space image which can be displayed by the display indication section;
a display step for outputting the second color space image to the display indication section;
a preview display designation step for receiving an instruction for displaying a preview;
a real display instruction step in which there is received an instruction for displaying a preview at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation, and which resolution is set in the print condition setting step; and
a print preview display control step in which, in a case where display of a preview is designated in the preview display designation step, in the second rendering step the rendering instruction is expanded into an image, and the image is output to the image to the display means, or, in a case where an instruction is received in the real display instruction step, in the second rendering step the rendering instruction is expanded at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation and the image is output to the display means.
Preferably, the program causes the computer to execute a real display area designation step in which a portion of the image output from the display means is designated. In a case where an area is designated in the real display area designation means step and when an instruction is received in the real display instruction step, in the second rendering step a portion of the rendering instruction corresponding to the designated area is expanded into an image at a resolution lower than that at which the image is to be printed by the printer, the expanded image is output to the display means, and subsequently the area is expanded to an image at a resolution at which the printer performs a printing operation and the expanded image is output to the display step.
Features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.